An Open Letter from Occupy Wall Street to All Americans and Progressive Media

This is an open letter to all Americans, and particularly to progressive magazines, Web Sites, TV programs, etc. Please spend most of your time focusing on the Occupy Wall Street protests. This is real, this is serious, and this will become a mass movement. I have been here every day for the past week. Everyone is dedicated and determined. People have come from all over the country, and they plan to stay for months. Many have been sleeping outside, on the floors of Zuccotti Park, and others have been arrested, sacrificing their comfort for the most important of all causes. It’s safe to assume the mainstream media either will not cover the demonstrations at all or will do so only to ridicule us. But liberal media outlets must get on board. If you do not, you are essentially useless.

As a journalist myself, I know the only reason any serious progressive does reporting is because he or she wants to motivate people to get off the couch and hit the streets. We journalists write articles, participate in TV segments, appear in documentaries… For what? To inform people of how they’ve been enslaved by the corporate state. And to make them understand that they have the power to restore their democracy if they choose to.

If we in the media don’t do our part we might as well not exist. If we don’t cover these protests day and night to try to mobilize a revolution, then we are just complainers.

Some have done good work. As always, Democracynow! has done excellent reporting. I also commend Keith Olbermann, who in his special comment after the debt deal admonished that all we have left is civil disobedience. He has reported on our movement and called attention to the shameful lack of coverage elsewhere.

But overall, I have found the left’s coverage extremely disappointing. Important publications, such as the Nation, Salon, Huffington Post, Truthdig, etc., have done far too few stories on Occupy Wall Street. The protests must be front page material, every day.

We need prominent attention. Right now there are a few hundred of us, which in itself is impressive and meaningful. But we must channel this energy into a mass movement. There’s no reason why thousands of people shouldn’t be here with us right now, as this country is reeling from staggering unemployment, mass poverty, a broken health care system that leaves tens of thousands to die for lack of coverage, and unprecedented concentration of wealth and power. It’s a matter of getting the word out and making people understand why Occupy Wall Street is the most important thing to happen in America in a long time, perhaps even more so than the Wisconsin strikes. Wisconsin, as inspiring and important as it was, centered upon a specific issue—collective bargaining rights and the corporate assault on unions; Occupy Wall Street revolves around much broader issues, primarily the very notion of democracy itself.

If everyone works together we can mobilize huge chunks of the population, force change and make demands. It is possible. It’s up to us. Every pundit, every writer, every filmmaker, every talk show host, every TV personality must do what they can to help. Famous figures who can mobilize their fans must bring as many people here as possible. If you can’t make it to New York City, you can still contribute. Check out our Web Site and follow us from there. Talk about what’s going on. Call people you know in New York for first-hand accounts if possible.

And most important, every American out there can participate. Everyone reading this article can contribute. If you’re not from New York and can’t make it, show solidarity by checking out our Web Site and donating some money to help us pay for food and other necessities. Tell friends you have in New York to come out and join us. Try to picket a branch of a big bank in your area.

Every day I go out to Zuccotti Park I am in awe of what I see. Occupy Wall Street consists mainly of young citizens who are serious about their democracy and their future, and we are leading the way. Hope does not come from the White House. It will not come from Congress. It will not come from the United Nations. And as the execution of Troy Davis proves yet again, it certainly will not come from the Supreme Court. Our only option is civil disobedience. If we the people don’t stand up for ourselves with non-violent, peaceful protest, nobody will. The corporate elite are counting on you to stay passive and let Occupy Wall Street fizzle out. This is our chance. It’s up to us. Occupy Wall Street has lit a spark. Will we set the country aflame?